Bowling Green - On May 14, 2020, Terry Allen Richardson succumbed to the effects of Agent Orange exposure that occurred during his service in Vietnam Nam. He is survived by his Wife, Zenda Johnson-Richardson, by his sons Haig Walker Marino of Brooklyn, NY and Daniel Paul Richardson of Springfield, VA; Daughter Terri Ann Parris of Paducah, KY; his Brothers Sonny and Darrell Richardson, and many other family members. A graduate of Bristow High School, he served as an US Air Force B-52 electronic countermeasures technician until accepting an appointment to the US Merchant Marine Academy, in Kings Point, NY. After graduation he served as the Second Officer Navigator aboard an ammunition ship for over a year in Vietnam waters. After volunteering for Naval Aviation pilot training, he won his wings of gold and volunteered for duty with an experimental squadron flying ski-equipped LC-130s in Antarctica. He was then assigned to an anti-submarine squadron flying the first computer equipped P-3 Orions in Iceland, tracking over 50 Soviet nuclear submarines during his tenure at the unit. He then served as an Associate Professor of Naval Science, teaching celestial navigation and leadership courses at NROTC Jacksonville, FL before being selected for Naval War College in Newport, RI. Upon graduation, he received assignment as Operations Officer for an anti-submarine squadron in Jacksonville, FL with operations in Iceland and the North Atlantic. He was then selected for Command for a squadron in Hawaii with operations in the Western Pacific, Persian Gulf, and Alaska. After a follow on selection to Senior Naval War College, he was assigned as the Congressional Coordinator for the Secretary of the Navy and Chief Naval Operations at the Pentagon. Richardson then was assigned to the Patrol and Recon Wing, 7th fleet in Japan before being selected as the Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa and Naval Air Station Kadena. His final assignment in the Navy was back in Washington, D.C. as the Flag representative for Chief Naval Training and as the Director of Shore Station Commanders training, and Flag Total Quality Management Training. Richardson's awards and medals earned during his service to his country include: four Legion of Merits, two Meritorious Service, Air Medal, Vietnam Service, Gulf War, Operation III Wind, Cold War Medals, Air Force Good Conduct, and National Defense. He also earned a US Coast Guard license endorsement as a deck officer of any gross tonnage upon oceans route as well as 3 Master's degrees and had a glacier in Palmer, Antarctica named after him by the National Science Foundation for his discovery and mapping of the location. Upon retirement from the Navy, he continued as a commercial pilot for several companies, including flying for Reba McEntire, Fruit of the Loom, Corporate Flight Management, Spantech, Rafferty's, and Campbell Chevrolet. He also served as the Chief Pilot for the State of Tennessee for a number of years. As an active local pilot, he was a strong advocate of the EAA Young Eagles program, personally flying over 100 children. With over 24,000 hours in over 400 different classes, types and models of aircraft, he held 10 performance ratings and several FAA ratings. Mentoring hundreds of military and civilian fledgling pilots during his military and civilian career, he was awarded the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot designation for his long time dedication to aviation safety and promotion of professional aviation. FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS.....J.C. Kirby & Son Lovers Lane Chapel has been entrusted with arrangements.

Uploading...

Loading...

A slow salute to you sir; a man's man so it seems. God bless you, your dear family and friends for your sacrifice. To succumb to the effects of Agent Orange is painful for the patient as well as those who loved him. Fly High sir. God's blessings to you and yours.

Carlene Waller

Friend

INVITE OTHERS TO ADD MEMORIES

Share to let others add their own memories and condolences

Thank You.

Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate
content.